For a fleeting second, the thought of fleeing crossed my mind. However, attempting to run from a True Ancestor who wasn't currently suffering from any 'nerfs' felt like a fool's errand. I decided it was best to simply step forward and face her.
"Hello~! You're that magus who was fighting Nero yesterday, right?"
"…Hah, I didn't think I'd be caught this easily. It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess of the True Ancestors."
"Hmm… Your face looks familiar…"
As she stood there with her head tilted, I decided to clarify exactly who I was.
"I currently hold the title of a Magician. Specifically, in the line of the Third Magic."
"Ah~! Right! They said a new Grand-rank magus appeared in the Clock Tower—that was you?! Does that mean the familiars scattered all over this city are your doing too?"
"Yes. I've been tracking Nero and Roa myself. I even have a plan to end Roa's cycle of reincarnation in this generation."
"…You're certainly going through a lot of trouble because of me. Nero I understand, but what business do you have with Roa? He doesn't even have an Idea Blood, so he isn't even part of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors, is he? I can't imagine why a Magician would target him…"
Before I knew it, we had entered the residence where Arcueid was staying. We sat facing each other, a cup of black tea placed on the table for each of us.
Shiki Tohno was staring at me intensely, as if he were sitting on a bed of needles, while I calmly sipped my tea and looked back at Arcueid.
"How do you plan on catching the Serpent?" she asked.
"Well… I've gathered a few individuals connected to the 'Root.' I have a friend with eyes similar to Tohno-kun's, and a linguist who can manipulate the Unified Language… I figure it'll work out somehow."
"Oh, that's impressive. But if you've prepared that much… it sounds like you already know who Roa is."
"Correct. For now, I'm only at the stage of finding and erasing his traces, but I should be able to capture him soon."
I proceeded to explain the past events of the Tsukihime timeline to Shiki Tohno and Arcueid Brunestud.
I told them everything: the annihilation of the Nanaya family by the Mixed-Blood clans, including the Tohno; how Makihisa Tohno adopted a boy from the Nanaya into the Tohno family; the truth about the real SHIKI, who began his killing spree after his Mixed-Blood lineage went berserk upon being chosen as Roa's vessel; and how SHIKI, after dying once at the hands of Shiki Tohno's exorcist impulses, was now stealing Shiki Tohno's life force through the supernatural ability of Co-existence…
Finally, I mentioned that currently, Shiki Tohno's younger sister was interfering with that ability to prevent the total drain of his life force. If Roa were to be killed now, both Shiki Tohno—who was standing right there with Arcueid—and his sister might die along with him.
"Consequently, if Roa is killed now, Shiki Tohno dies as well. No matter how much you want to subjugate Roa, killing Shiki would be a bit problematic, wouldn't it?"
"Hmm… wouldn't it be fine?"
"…?"
"If that Co-existence ability is the problem, I can just erase it with my Marble Phantasm, right?"
"…Huh?"
"What? Is that what you were so worried about?"
"Well… for the most part? My plan involved using the Unified Language to weaken the Co-existence as much as possible, while Ryougi-san used her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception to sever the connection between the three of them, and then Shiki Tohno would strike Roa's Point of Death to destroy his very soul…"
Arcueid burst into laughter.
"Haha! No need for all that. You said you're destroying all of Roa's bounded fields? Then even if he successfully reincarnated, he hasn't been able to drink any blood and must be starving. Since he won't be able to exert his magecraft properly, we'll just catch him, I'll use Marble Phantasm to strip him of his abilities, and then we kill him. End of story!"
"…Good grief."
It's a bit strange to say this, but I truly wondered if such a 'cheat character' should be allowed to exist.
* *
Two days after Arcueid declared that Roa was 'nothing' and no match for her, Shiki Ryougi and Godword Mayday arrived in Misaki City.
To the Clock Tower, this would be an incident they'd froth at the mouth over, but for me—having already reached the rank of Grand and received the title of Magician—contacting those connected to the Root was no problem at all.
"Welcome to Misaki City, strangers. I am the enlightened master of samsara who oversees this city in place of its usual residents. You may call me Pein."
"…Your skill at talking nonsense has improved," Shiki Ryougi deadpanned.
"Haha, isn't this just his nature? So, what's the situation?" Godword asked.
"It couldn't be better."
During the two days I spent waiting for them, Arcueid had been roaming the city with Shiki Tohno on what she called a 'date,' relentlessly hunting Roa until he was exhausted.
Pursued by the beasts of the Animal Path, the Mirror of Siesta, the Diddle Diddle Ploy Kickshaws, and an Arcueid who had lost none of her power, Roa's ability to 'resupply'—to feed—had been completely disrupted. As a last resort, he had begun scurrying through the sewers, preparing to escape Misaki City by any means necessary.
"Still, this is surprising. To think the pinnacle of Gaia's Counter Force would personally offer to help with our plan."
"It's not set in stone yet. Are you ready, Ryougi-san?"
"Honestly… I don't know where you get all that money from. I appreciate you buying me the blade, but you better tell me where the funds came from later."
Shiki Ryougi, a true sword enthusiast, was now armed with a cursed blade crafted by the legendary smith Muramasa. As for Satsuki Kurogiri, I had simply invited him to a serpent hunt to celebrate my promotion to Grand rank.
As for Ciel, Sister Yuika said she would handle the persuasion and bring her along. Meanwhile, Shiki Tohno said he would persuade his sister—the one weakening the link of Co-existence—to join us.
"…One connected to the Root, two people with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception… a Magician, a Fairy Tale Witch… and even a True Ancestor. Is this city some kind of den for inhuman monsters…?"
"I don't want to hear that from Miss Ciel, who is immortal for all intents and purposes," I replied.
"The Third Magician… come to think of it, you said this was your hometown. Have you known Sister Yuika from the beginning?"
"Of course. I am technically a Catholic, you know. An unchurched one, but still."
That was a lie. Ever since my unusual experience with reincarnation and waking up in the 'inhuman den' that is the Type-Moon world, I had decided to pursue atheism. In this universe, gods are often not true deities but something more akin to armored weapons…
"Anyway, Ryougi-san, weren't you getting married soon?"
"…Yeah, we decided to do it this winter. You planning to come?"
"Naturally. I'm sure everyone here is dying to go."
"Wow… so these are the genuine Mystic Eyes of Death Perception? I never thought I'd see someone with such a stable output. If Shiki's eyes are overclocked, then hers… are at the level of transcendent software," Arcueid mused.
"Brother, who are these people…?"
"Karma. Please tell me there isn't anyone else left to come. Having this many people enter my territory at once is stressful enough," Alice sighed.
…Ah, it really is a mess. I should probably organize the situation and explain what comes next.
"Alright! Let's set aside the main business for a moment and move on to small talk."
"Isn't that backwards?"
"Considering the members gathered here, Roa is basically at the level of 'small talk,' so let's leave it at that. First, let's start with self-introductions."
Since the rule of introductions is that the one who proposes it goes first, I stepped forward and spoke with a hand over my heart.
"Karma Kirigaya. I am a young man who aims to protect this town on a small scale, and the Human Order on a large scale. My credentials include being awarded the rank of Grand by the Clock Tower and possessing a modest ability to use the Third Magic. My current goal is the elimination of the Serpent of Akasha—Michael Roa Valdamjong… and, well, making friends with all of you."
Looking back at how I could now openly state my identity in front of an agent of the Burial Agency, I really felt how much I had grown.
I had seized control of the thousand-year lineage of the Einzberns and had my abilities officially recognized by the Clock Tower. In practice, even the Burial Agency couldn't touch me lightly. Of course, they could try… but they'd have to accept the catastrophic damage that would follow.
At any rate, after my simple introduction, Shiki Ryougi, the Tohno siblings, and Arcueid Brunestud followed suit. Once Alice had finished her introduction in her usual noble tone, Ciel pulled out a Black Key and spun it between her fingers.
"So, what is the plan for Roa?"
"We kill him. And then we'll thoroughly block any path for his future reincarnation."
Alice, who had used the Mirror of Siesta to map the entire city, tapped a finger on the sewage treatment plant on the map and spoke.
"Roa is here. I've been hounding him continuously with Thames Troll and Flat Snark, and every night, Arcueid, that boy… and Karma have been destroying the absorption bounded fields he sets up. By now, he should be weakened to the level of a fledgling vampire, not even worthy of being called an Ancestor-class threat."
In other words, Roa, who could once hold his own against Servants, had been reduced to a mere superhuman—roughly around the level of someone like Kayneth.
"The Serpent of Akasha currently has two usable abilities. First is the Co-existence he uses to drain Shiki Tohno's life force. Second is his inherent ability of reincarnation. Of these, Ryougi-san, you will be responsible for the reincarnation."
"…You mean cut him down if he tries to run away?"
"Tohno-kun cannot cut through concepts, after all."
That was exactly why I had called Shiki Ryougi.
A pair of Rainbow-rank Mystic Eyes on par with my Rinnegan, capable of slaying even abstract concepts. Considering the 'Void' slumbering within her, she probably outranked me in terms of Mystery.
"Godword Mayday, I need you to suppress the phenomenon of Co-existence so Roa cannot utilize it."
"Hmm… suppressing the drainage of life. I'm not sure if the Unified Language will work."
"It'll work~! A vampire's life-drain is just a form of energy drain. Your Unified Language, which directly reshapes the world, is in a way similar to my Marble Phantasm. And Marble Phantasm definitely works on Roa."
Reassured by Arcueid's confident words, he nodded. Finally, I turned to Arcueid.
"And lastly, Arcueid-san."
"Yeah!"
"Go mess him up."
"OK!"
* *
Immediately after the roles were assigned, we headed to the sewage treatment plant that Roa had made his final hideout.
It was underground and spread out like a spiderweb, and he likely thought the defense of the Mirror of Siesta wouldn't reach him there. Unfortunately for him, the summons of my Animal Path had located him long ago. We split into three teams and entered through the tunnels he might use for escape.
"…High-level magecraft circles. These are self-destruct circuits. Anyone not registered who tries to pass will be blown to bits."
"It's just a snack for me now," I remarked.
Shiki Tohno, Arcueid, and Ciel's team simply smashed their way in with Arcueid's Marble Phantasm. Ryougi-san and Alice's team bypassed everything with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. As for me and Godword Mayday, I simply used Seal Absorption to swallow the magical circuits whole.
"Is it my turn then? [Michael. Roa. Valdamjong. Will. Not. Move. From. This. Spot.]"
Amidst the clattering sound of metal, Ciel—who had her Black Keys ready between her fingers—tossed them in all directions to establish a bounded field. Akiha Tohno unleashed her flames, instantly evaporating all the water in the sewage plant.
I restored my dolls from their compressed bead-sized forms back to their original size, sealing off every possible exit. Shiki Ryougi unsheathed the katana I had gifted her, and Shiki Tohno pulled out his knife engraved with the name 'Nanaya.'
In the middle of the scorched sewage plant lay a man with seaweed-like hair, looking utterly exhausted. He turned his Mystic Eyes of Enchantment toward the approaching Arcueid and spoke with a hollow laugh.
"Isn't this a bit too much…?"
"That's my line, Michael Roa Valdamjong. My plans usually fall apart in the most ridiculous ways… but you're the first one to walk right into a trap this perfectly. Should I be thanking you?"
"Absurd… how long have you been watching me? This is the first time I've reincarnated and failed to feed on a single human. Beasts that look like they belong in the Age of Gods hounding me, a witch wielding fairy tales trying to kill me… and now two sets of Mystic Eyes of Death Perception and a Magician? My escape is truly barred."
"I won't say I'm sorry. To use a modern phrase, I'm just here to press F to pay respects."
It was my best joke, but no one laughed. Ciel glared coldly at Roa and drove a Black Key through his knee.
"Hehe… my daughter, do you wish to kill me so badly?"
"Who are you calling your daughter, you bastard!"
As two more Black Keys were impaled into him, Roa let out a maniacal laugh.
"How regrettable, truly regrettable! It's a shame my old friend Chaos is dead, and it's a shame to die without fully understanding this 'Death'… but it shouldn't matter. This meeting was brief, but we shall meet again, shall we not? Princess of the Moon."
Roa smiled grotesquely at Arcueid.
"The moment that user of the Ancient Language established his bounded field, I had already completed my separation. Speaking this is merely the last lingering tether of this body. I am the concept of reincarnation itself; you cannot block a concept with a mere bounded field made of words. Co-existence and Reincarnation… as a psychic power and a concept, the difference between them is like the gap between the second and third dimensions."
"…"
"Don't look at me like that, daughter. Your Baptism Sacrament might be able to kill me. But that's the limit… even if you kill me with a Sacrament, you cannot stop my reincarnation itself. I am an inevitable existence. Much like the relationship between you and I, Princess of the Moon."
Roa laughed triumphantly from his corpse-like state, as if he had already won…
"Oh, congrats."
"Hmm… as expected?"
"It was predictable, but what a cliché ending."
Surprisingly, no one paid him any attention.
Sensing something was wrong, Roa began to look around, eventually settling his gaze on Shiki Ryougi, who had her hand on her sword in a draw-stance.
"…Why are you laughing?"
"Nothing. I just didn't expect someone who supposedly obtained the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception to be so stupid."
"What…"
At that exact moment, Shiki Ryougi's brilliant eyes flashed, and she called out to the empty air.
"Yeah, I can see it clearly… there you are, you hideous murderer!"
Ryougi swung her katana, slicing through 'something' in the air. Immediately, the body of SHIKI that Roa inhabited began to shriek in agony.
"Gah—hk… aaaaaagh!!"
"So, how does it feel? How does it feel to have the source of your immortality, which you were so proud of, smashed to pieces?"
"I'll kill you, you bitch… I'll definitely kill you!"
"That would be a problem."
It was Arcueid Brunestud who stepped in front of Shiki Ryougi as she was about to cut down SHIKI's body.
She extended her palm toward Roa. Her voice was not its usual energetic self, but rather a soft, gentle whisper that seemed to reminisce about the distant past.
"Once, I thought we were kindred spirits. Back then, you were a scholar racing toward the future, a 'human' who approached me with kindness. But now, you're just an ugly monster, Roa."
"Don't make me laugh… the monster is you, Arcueid Brunestud! No, all of you are monsters! Those connected to the Root, those wielding the karmic burden of Magic… how can any of you call yourselves human! Don't touch me, Arcueid Brunestud! Don't you dare defile my purity!"
In that instant, Roa's body began to twist.
Suspended in mid-air, his flesh was mangled and crushed as if by invisible presses and gravity. Like dough being kneaded for bread, the body of SHIKI was crumpled and distorted until it finally burst with a wet thud, leaving no room for a final scream.
"…The moment you tricked me and drank my blood, Roa, you were no longer pure."
As Arcueid went to shake the blood off her hands, Shiki Tohno handed her a handkerchief. Godword slowly began to release the bounded field.
After sending back the familiars and Alice's Ploy Kickshaws, I looked around at the group.
"Now then… let's head back up. We have quite a mess to clean up."